Key Lime Pie

This is the first year I have had key limes from my tree.  Its ready to make some key lime pie!!

 

Ingredients

•  Graham cracker crust 
• 2 Cans  14 oz each  sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream--this is a little something extra a conch told me about years ago
• 3/4 cup key lime juice  about 15 Key Limes

Directions

Crust

• 1/3 cup butter , melted   
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs   
• 1/4 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime rind. Mix well and pour into graham cracker crust.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, . DO NOT BROWN! Chill pie thoroughly before serving.

This took 15 key limes from the tree. I roll them around a bit to get them juicy inside

I did not use any special tools just my hands to squeeze

If you have to buy these and you need every last drop. Use a garlic press to squeeze the juice out

 Do not buy the pre made crust. Is that even food? Those taste like card board

Its easier to make your own, taste better too

  Take your fork and press it to the pie pan

   Bake this for 7 mins

 Ready to bake

 

Let chill before serving

The traditional Key Lime Pie has a meringue topping

Some people like whipped cream

I dont like anything on mine

The Birds

We have these silly little birds that come in groups and eat the bugs

Make your own vanilla extract

I make my own vanilla extra 

its easy

its inexpensive and its real vanilla extract

Today I'm making Christmas gifts

I am going to use 2 glass jars. One is a herb jar and the other had bacon bits in it

I grown my own herbs but friends save me their old glass jars

Buy the cheapest  vodka you can buy

I get the pint size

I buy my vanilla beans in bulk . I have 50 each of the Bourbon vanilla beans and Tahitian vanilla beans
Keep your beans wrapped tight in the refrigerator
You don't want them to dry out 

Next you take your beans and slice them from top to bottom with a sharp kitchen knife

Scrape out the vanilla, place that inside your jars with the vanilla beans
You want to let this sit in a dark place for about 2 months and shake it once in awhile
Now, I already have a huge jar from my own stash already made
I'm going to add that to my bottles
with fresh  beans that I have scraped

As you use it just add more vodka
the beans keep adding the flavor
These just need a label some pretty ribbon and are ready to give as gifts

Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted   I double this
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate  graham cracker crumbs   I double this. It keeps the bottom from getting soggy if your crust is thicker
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 ounce) can  Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted If you don't want chocolate you can use raspberry jam
• Just swirl in the jam by hand to get the double swirl look
• 4 large eggs                                          
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract  I make my own vanilla extract. You can to.!!  Its much better than store bought
• make sure all your ingredient's are at room temperature.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine butter, graham cracker crumbs and sugar; press on bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in milk until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 65 minutes or until cake center is set. 
3. Do not over bake 
4. The keep your cake from cracking place a pan of water under the rack with the cake in the oven
5. Let it cool to room temp before putting in the fridge
6. Do not forget to scrape your bowl or you will end up with unattractive dots of cream cheese  in the middle of your cake

Less than 24 hours later this is all I have left

I share with my neighbors and friends

A little tip about plates

Take a piece of cardboard  wrap with foil and you have an instant plate

That way there is no need to worry about getting your plates back

I added melted chocolate chips to the top

Let cool down for about an hour before putting in the fridge

I also do the water pan under the cheesecake as it bakes

to keep it from cracking

Night-blooming cereus, also called Queen of the night or Reina de la noche

Night-blooming cereus, also called Queen of the night or Reina de la noche, are names of several genera and species of nightblooming cactus, including:

• Echinopsis, e.g. E. pachanoi (San Pedro Cactus)
• Epiphyllum, e.g. E. oxypetalum (Dutchman's Pipe Cactus)
• Hylocereus, e.g. H. undatus (Red Pitaya)
• Peniocereus, e.g. P. greggii (Arizona Queen-of-the-night)
• Selenicereus, e.g. S. grandiflorus (Vanilla Cactus), probably the most famous

The nightblooming cereus is also known as the lunar flower, moon flower and luna flower. This plant is native to the Sonoran Desert in North America. The plant grows as a thin, almost dead looking stick from a single stem in the ground. They bloom just on one or two nights of the year, typically around May 30. Beneath the ground is a large tuber, often the size of a watermelon, that was eaten by Indians and early settlers because of its nutritious content. Pack rats often eat these blossoms before morning, so catching a glimpse of them can be fleeting. They often stay open until the early morning hours, but then close up for another year.

This is my plant getting ready to bloom in November

Garden Update

The garden is growing

you can see the tiny green cherry tomatoes 

The first tomato, 30 days after planting

  Zucchini flowers

My herbs are really taking off. I use them all the time so I'm sure cutting helps encourage  growth

that is zucchini on the end of the herb basket

And on top of the up side down tomato  baskets 

hoja santa leaves = hierba santa = rootbeer plant leaves   Notes:   These heart-shaped leaves impart a root beer flavor to dishes, and they're great for wrapping tamales and other foods.  They're hard to find; your best bet is a Hispanic market. Substitutes:  unsprayed avocado leaves OR chopped fennel (if recipe calls for leaves to be chopped) OR Swiss chard (if recipe calls for leaves to be chopped) OR banana leaves (as a food wrapper) OR corn husks (for wrapping tamales) OR epazote (Large leaves are great for wrapping tamales.) OR Swiss chard (If recipe calls for hoja santa leaves to be chopped.)

I have have had  tamales wrapped  in this. It takes on that minty  taste

Banana  leaves are much better ( to me)

They are not hard to find in my back yard im always cutting them down

I moved my herb garden to this handy homemade herb rack
It gets full sun and its right out the back door for easy clipping